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Check the temperatures
2
Run stress tests
3
Check the system logs
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4
Run benchmarks
5
Update the drivers and firmware
6
Here’s what else to consider
If your PC has been overheating, you may have fixed the problem by cleaning the dust, replacing the thermal paste, or upgrading the cooling system. But how do you know if your PC is running smoothly and reliably after resolving the overheating issue? Here are some steps you can take to test your PC performance and stability.
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- Bracken Crisman Incident Response Trainer at ReliaQuest 3
- Phillip Ross II Freelance Cybersecurity Specialist | Blockchain, Defi, NFTs 2
- Liam Johnson 1 Month Rolling Business IT Agreements – Flexibility to Change Monthly, Not Yearly! 1
1 Check the temperatures
The first thing you should do is monitor the temperatures of your CPU, GPU, and other components using a software tool like HWMonitor or SpeedFan. These tools can show you the current, minimum, and maximum temperatures of your PC parts, as well as the fan speeds and voltages. You should check the temperatures while your PC is idle, and also while running some demanding tasks like gaming, video editing, or benchmarking. Compare the temperatures with the recommended ranges for your hardware, and look for any signs of overheating, such as throttling, crashing, or shutting down.
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- Liam Johnson 1 Month Rolling Business IT Agreements – Flexibility to Change Monthly, Not Yearly!
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I tend to use Speccy which gives a good temperature indication on the hardware such as CPU and GPU. It also has thresholds which will show if they are close or have reached this limit.
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2 Run stress tests
Stress tests are programs that put your PC under heavy load and simulate extreme scenarios. They can help you identify any potential problems with your PC stability, performance, or cooling. Some popular stress tests are Prime95 for CPU, FurMark for GPU, and MemTest86 for RAM. You can run these tests individually or together, depending on what you want to test. You should run the stress tests for at least an hour, and monitor the temperatures, frequencies, and voltages of your PC components. If your PC passes the stress tests without errors, crashes, or overheating, it means that it is stable and can handle high workloads.
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- Liam Johnson 1 Month Rolling Business IT Agreements – Flexibility to Change Monthly, Not Yearly!
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There are many tools, however the old fashioned Intel Burn Test works very well for a CPU. If you still have an output after 30 minutes of running the burn test, you can safely say the cooling is working as it should.
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3 Check the system logs
Another way to test your PC performance and stability is to check the system logs for any errors, warnings, or failures that may indicate a problem with your hardware or software. You can access the system logs using the Event Viewer in Windows, or the Console in macOS. You should look for any events that occurred during or after the overheating problem, such as blue screens of death, kernel panics, application crashes, or driver issues. You should also look for any events that occurred during or after the stress tests, such as power failures, thermal events, or hardware errors. If you find any events that suggest a problem with your PC, you should try to fix them or seek professional help.
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4 Run benchmarks
Benchmarks are programs that measure the performance of your PC components and compare them with other systems. They can help you evaluate how well your PC is performing after resolving the overheating problem, and if there is any room for improvement. Some popular benchmarks are Cinebench for CPU, 3DMark for GPU, and CrystalDiskMark for SSD. You can run these benchmarks and check the scores, frames per second, and read/write speeds of your PC components. You can also compare your results with other users who have similar hardware or with your previous results before the overheating problem. If your PC performs as expected or better than before, it means that it is performing well and efficiently.
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- Bracken Crisman Incident Response Trainer at ReliaQuest
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In my experience, userbenchmark.com is a great website that will benchmark your PC and then compare the results of the performance of each component of your workstation, to other user’s benchmarks. This will give you an idea on how your PC parts are performing compared to similar builds.
5 Update the drivers and firmware
The last step you should take to test your PC performance and stability is to update the drivers and firmware of your PC components. Drivers are software that allow your hardware to communicate with your operating system, and firmware is software that controls the basic functions of your hardware. Updating the drivers and firmware can improve the performance, stability, compatibility, and security of your PC components. You can update the drivers and firmware using the manufacturer's website, the device manager in Windows, or the software update in macOS. You should always backup your data before updating the drivers and firmware, and follow the instructions carefully.
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- Phillip Ross II Freelance Cybersecurity Specialist | Blockchain, Defi, NFTs
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Diagnostics TestFirst, run a diagnostics test properly from the bios. Run the short test then follow up with the long test to ensure best results. Also, another important factor would be to ensure the fan bearings are properly checked. To do this a pencil is needed to test the PSU (Power Supply Unit). Barely hold the fan of the PSU; if a grinding sound is present the PSU is failing and needs a replacement. Thoughts on DriversWhile looking through the control panel, or drivers area depending on the OS look at all drivers installed to make sure none are missing. Compare what the Pc model and make number shows online, but steps above would still lead the individual working on the Pc on Drivers Update would be best practice.
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6 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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- Phillip Ross II Freelance Cybersecurity Specialist | Blockchain, Defi, NFTs
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Caution on Pc Cleaners- In my experience usage of dust cleaners for PCs has lead to a motherboard replacement. - The can of dust off was determined defective ruining the CPU.- Make sure Pc’s PSU is unplugged, for 24 - 48 hours.- Always check expiration dates and consistency of liquid to air.- In my opinion an air compressor at 10 PSI works best.
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Water Cooling System Last, on high end Pc builds the PSU does not properly kick on the cooling system at the time it starts up. This delay could be the problem. Check to establish if this is happening to make sure equipment might need a new PSU suitable for the Pc being worked on. This is a rare occurrence, but best to establish if happening.
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Some other things to consider when dealing with overheating:- clean dust from inside computer using canned air or similar- make sure the desktop is in a spot for optimal airflow - a temporary solution could also be undervolting the cpu and gpu and upping the fan rpm for both.
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